Important Policy Regarding Wild Rabbits

Cherokee Flats is a private breeding facility and is not a licensed wildlife rescue or rehabilitation facility. We cannot accept, treat, raise, or rehabilitate wild rabbits. If you find a wild rabbit or nest, please leave it undisturbed whenever possible.

Mother rabbits typically visit their nests only briefly, often around dawn and dusk, so not seeing the mother does not necessarily mean the babies have been abandoned. To give them the best chance of remaining safely with their mother:

• Leave the babies in the nest. Do not remove them unless directed by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
• Do not relocate the nest. Moving the babies or nest can prevent the mother from finding them.
• Limit handling and disturbance. Keep children, dogs, cats, and other pets away from the area.
• Protect the nest when necessary. If it is in an area where pets are outside during the day, a protective barrier can be used temporarily while still allowing the mother access, particularly around dusk and dawn.
• Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if a rabbit is visibly injured, you know the mother has died, or you have reason to believe the babies are truly orphaned.

Please do not bring wild rabbits to Cherokee Flats. We are happy to encourage responsible wildlife practices, but wild rabbits belong with their mothers and in their natural environment whenever possible.

Animal Pickup & Boarding Policy

Cherokee Flats will no longer hold purchased animals beyond their designated ready date. Before purchasing or placing a deposit on an animal, please make sure you are prepared to pick it up when it becomes available.

If you purchase an animal that will be ready in the future—for example, an animal that reaches its required pickup age in three weeks—your pickup must be scheduled for its ready date or within the pickup window provided by Cherokee Flats.

If an animal is already 8 weeks of age or older at the time of purchase, your pickup appointment must be scheduled for the next available Saturday. Please make sure you are available for pickup before committing to the purchase.

Animals remaining at Cherokee Flats beyond their required pickup date will incur the following daily boarding and care fees:

• Rabbit: $45 per day, per animal
• Cavy (Guinea Pig): $35 per day, per animal
• Fancy Rat: $20 per day, per animal

Boarding fees begin once the required pickup date has passed and will continue for each day the animal remains in our care. All outstanding boarding and care fees must be paid in full before the animal will be released.

Please plan accordingly before purchasing. By purchasing an animal from Cherokee Flats, you agree to arrange timely pickup and accept responsibility for any boarding and care fees resulting from a delayed pickup.

Cherokee Flats — Customer, Sales & Animal Care Policies

At Cherokee Flats, the health, welfare, and safety of our animals come first. We are committed to responsible breeding, proper husbandry, customer education, and providing every animal with individualized care. Our animals are handled, socialized, loved, and—as we like to say—“pre-spoiled” before leaving for their new homes.

As the creators of Who’s Due, our rabbit and cavy management application, we bring the same attention to organization, recordkeeping, and responsible management to our own breeding program.

To protect our animals, our family, and the biosecurity of our farm, we ask all prospective and current buyers to respect the following policies.

1. Appointments, Pick-Ups & Communication

Private Property: Cherokee Flats is our private residence and a working farm. Unannounced visitors are not permitted. Anyone arriving without a scheduled appointment will be asked to leave. Repeated disregard for this policy may result in our declining to do business with you.

Pick-Ups by Appointment Only: All animal pick-ups must be scheduled in advance and arranged around our farm and family schedule. We do not offer walk-in, same-day, or unannounced “cash-in-hand” sales.

Communication: Our posted business hours apply to phone inquiries only and do not represent available pick-up hours. If we are unable to answer, please leave one voicemail or send us one email or message. Please do not send the same inquiry through multiple platforms, including phone, text, Facebook Messenger, and email. Multiple messages will not result in a faster response.

Mutual Respect: We value respectful and courteous communication. Cherokee Flats reserves the right to decline or discontinue a transaction when our policies, time, property, or communication boundaries are repeatedly disregarded.

2. Sales & Responsible Breeding Standards

Animals Are Not Gifts: Cherokee Flats does not knowingly sell animals to be given as surprise gifts, including birthday, Easter, Christmas, or other holiday gifts. An animal is a living creature and a long-term commitment—not an impulse purchase or temporary present. If a child wants an animal as a gift, we encourage giving them a stuffed animal instead and allowing the family to make the decision about a live animal together.

Our Policies Are Not Negotiable: Our requirements exist to protect our animals and breeding program. We will not change or waive a policy because of pressure, guilt, urgency, or special circumstances.

Small-Scale Breeding: Cherokee Flats is a small breeding program. We do not mass-produce animals. Our breeding decisions are based first on the goals and needs of our own program. Animals that we do not retain may then become available to approved buyers.

Feeder Availability: Feeder animals may occasionally be available at reasonable prices; however, availability varies and we cannot guarantee or supply large quantities.

3. Wildlife, Rescue & Surrenders

Cherokee Flats Is Not a Rescue: We are a private breeding facility, not an animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation facility. We do not accept surrendered, abandoned, unwanted, or found animals. If you need assistance rehoming an animal, please contact an appropriate local rescue, shelter, veterinarian, or other qualified organization.

Wild Rabbits: Cherokee Flats does not accept wild rabbits or other wildlife. If you discover a wild rabbit nest, the best course of action in most situations is to leave the nest and babies undisturbed. Mother rabbits typically visit their nests only briefly, often around dusk and dawn, so not seeing the mother does not automatically mean the babies have been abandoned.

Keep children and pets away from the nest and avoid unnecessary handling or relocation. If a rabbit appears injured or you have reason to believe the mother is deceased, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance rather than bringing the animal to Cherokee Flats.

4. Payment, Ready Dates & Boarding Fees

Payment & Purchase Agreement: Animals must be paid in full and have a completed purchase agreement before a pick-up appointment will be finalized.

Animals Not Yet Ready: When purchasing an animal that has not yet reached its designated ready age, buyers are responsible for arranging pickup for the animal’s ready date or the pickup window provided by Cherokee Flats.

Animals Already 8 Weeks or Older: If an animal is already 8 weeks of age or older at the time of purchase, the buyer must schedule pickup for the next available Saturday appointment offered by Cherokee Flats.

No Extended Holds: Purchasing an animal does not include free boarding or an extended hold beyond its required pickup date. Please do not purchase an animal unless you are prepared to take possession when required.

If an animal remains at Cherokee Flats beyond its required pickup date, the following daily boarding and care fees will apply:

• Rabbits: $45 per animal, per day
• Cavies (Guinea Pigs): $35 per animal, per day
• Fancy Rats: $20 per animal, per day

Boarding fees continue for each day the animal remains in our care after the required pickup date. The animal will not leave Cherokee Flats until all outstanding boarding and care fees have been paid in full.

Thank You

We appreciate our customers who respect our animals, our property, our time, and the policies we have established for Cherokee Flats. These guidelines allow us to maintain a safe, organized, responsible, and small-scale breeding program while providing the best possible care for our animals.

Crystal R. Akey-Smith & Brian J. Smith
Owners — Cherokee Flats